


Annihilator

by thisisle



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst, Brightwell, Hurt/Comfort, Prodigal son, Whump, h/c, idiot son, snake bite - Freeform, yert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 09:02:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21966844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisisle/pseuds/thisisle
Summary: Yea I'm? Not good with titles. but anyways! so remember when Malcolm got bit by a snake and they didn't even give us much of a whump scene for it :) I also will have a follow up to this one where he wakes up in the hospital, picking up where the show does after he gets taken there. Also this is my first fic for Prodigal son. So go easy on me please : ' )
Comments: 22
Kudos: 100





	1. 1

“Bright!”  
“That way!” Malcolm Bright scrambled to his feet, wincing at the dizzyness it caused him. That wasn’t supposed to happen. But he quickly pointed to where their perpetrator went, only to narrow his eyes and furrow his brows in confusion. Dani was giving him an odd look, and it took him a moment to follow her gaze to his outstretched hand. “Ah!” He hissed, only now realizing the jet snake was latched onto his skin. He used to keep these animals as pets, and he didn’t have to wonder if this one was harmful. Now he saw why he didn’t know he was bit. His hand was already red and inflamed. He hastily grabbed the snake, freeing his hand from it’s grasp, throwing it to the ground and far away from him. He began to feel hot, feeling it from his head to his toes and emanating from his core. Feeling like he’d just run a marathon. He was in trouble. 

“Ha ha ha, it’s fine, it was just a small one. Probably not ev-”

He didn’t remember falling. He was glad he didn’t feel his head hitting the floor. He’d pay for it later, he was sure. But then there was Dani, kneeling above him, her hands at his head. What was she doing? Malcolm was trying so hard to focus on breathing (gasping) and remaining alive to respond to her. He gave a choked sound instead, unable to move his hands. He couldn’t feel the hand that was bit, and could not feel the rest of his arm up to his shoulder. It seemed to radiate to his jaw as well, making him unable to feel the sensation there. He was painfully aware of that when he started to breathe faster, his whole face going red. His veins stuck out on his forehead; sweat began to bead in such short a time since the bite. He was genuinely scared. His heart was hammering in his temples, making him anxious. It was getting incredibly hard to breathe- which was now turning to gaspy wheezing. He felt stressed, making him turn his head away from Dani. She was loud, close, and now pressing his cheeks. 

He didn’t feel her touch. He watched as she gently slapped him, and he vaguely wondered why. She was turning his head, which had lolled to the side, to face him. Now he realized she was trying to simply keep him awake and to keep breathing. He was so hot, so stressed, so scared. Dani was talking to someone, he didn’t know who. He couldn’t keep track of anything, let alone partake in a conversation. It would be hard enough to try. He tried making eye contact with her, but his eyes were starting to go wild in their sockets. He could feel all of the pent up anxiety surmounting to something and it was going to start soon. In those few seconds of brief clarity, he tried recalling what he could from his childhood when he raised snakes. He was checking off a mental checklist of the signs: elevated heart rate, hyperventilation, pain, fainting, blurred vision, numbness, bruising redness and inflammation at the site of the bite. And, finally, convulsions. 

Now he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. He knew it was coming. The med-evac team wasn’t here yet and he was positively going to die. He only wished that he wasn’t so out of his mind when death came. In a last attempt to free himself from the increasing pain and stinging of the bite that seemed to be pinballing through his body, he tried to raise his unaffected hand. He thought he was moving it to his neck in a try to loosen his tie, only to find out it wasn’t moving much at all. His hand had done nothing but brush against his own thigh. He desperately tried to convey this to Dani, who didn’t seem to understand. 

“Hot,” He tried to explain, but nothing but a groan came out. Dani looked at him in concern and slight confusion. But Malcolm had run out of time. He was shaking with the pain that was wracking his body. He was unaware of the blood seeping from his hand. He was aware of the throbbing pins and needles feeling everywhere else, though. He was losing control, and knew he had fully lost it when his eyes rolled back. A groan escaped his throat as his back arched, head pressing into the floor in an attempt to ground himself. His unaffected hand balled into a fist at his thigh, his legs raising unconsciously. 

“Hang on, Bright.” Malcolm didn’t even register that she was speaking. Everything was so loud. He groaned again, louder and longer. The shaking that had been light before evolved to full on trembling. It lasted a few seconds before he started to convulse in Dani’s grasp, effectively startling her. She could feel his body contract and relax underneath her hands. While Malcolm’s heart was racing to inhuman levels, hers was dropping to her stomach. She froze for a few seconds before her previous first aid training came to her. 

Malcolm only knew pain in that moment. On every part of his body. He wanted to say something, anything, but all he could do was produce wet choking noises, feeling utterly helpless. All of his body was tensing before releasing, only to repeat it again. The convulsions had started and getting worse now. Not much longer and he’d stop all together, including his respiratory system. He could feel every time the muscles on his affected arm moved, bringing white hot flashes of pain. This was when he thought the scream that was building finally came out of his ragged throat, but he couldn’t know for sure. Too much was raging within his body. 

A loud voice roused him slightly, bringing him out of his state. His body seemed to stop convulsing, but leaving his body still trembling in its wake. The profiler was utterly exhausted and spent from the actions, sweat nearly dripping off his face. He seemed surprised to see Dani still above him. He had no idea how much time had passed or if he was even still alive. She was talking, loud and rushed. Hopefully it wasn’t directed to him. He was barely coherent. 

“Hey!” He moved his eyes in her direction, unable to focus it for long. She was looking down to him, hands moving from something in her hands to his neck. She finally seemed to understand what he’d been wanting, and went to loosening his tie. When she did so, she took it off entirely and undid the first few buttons on his shirt. Malcolm tried to follow her hands but his vision blurred, making it hard. He couldn’t help but shiver when she opened his shirt, already so hot and sweating with fever that any breeze to his skin was chilling him. 

Malcolm opened his mouth to say something to her, but it only came out as an unintelligible, desperate jumble of syllables. Dani could not make sense of it, as evidenced by the confusion in her eyes. “Just hang on, Bright. They’re outside. Please stay with me.” He thought he was nodding, but everything grew fuzzy again. His chest was heaving with the effort of his hyperventilating, and with another groan, his head tilted back. He tried rolling onto his side, to bring his knees up. His hands started to gravitate towards his chest, but not fully. He was far too numb and pained to have coordinated movements. Then, a commotion near the entrance of the warehouse started. The profiler could vaguely hear sirens from that direction and tears began to pool in his eyes. The pain was getting too much to bear and the thought that help was coming was a great relief.

Malcolm didn’t remember any conversations between Dani and the paramedics. But he came to when they began to transfer him to the back of the ambulance that he knew was here. All of the sounds and motions were alerting the other black market animals, instilling a primal fear in Malcolm. His head and stomach lurched when the medical staff lifted him up, making his mind swim. “Ohhh,” he moaned, grimacing. He seemed to be in slight more control of his body, fueled mainly by adrenaline, bringing one hand to his head to press as hard as he could into it. His face was about as red as the skin where he was bit, alerting everyone looking at him. “Watch them,” he mumbled incoherently as they passed the jaguar cage, warning the men transporting him. Malcolm turned his head to look up at them, seeing that they acknowledged him. They did not. They were talking above him, some of them even pointing to himself as if he were an animal they were dissecting. 

“Stay with me, Bright. We’re getting you help.” Malcolm moved his head back to get a good upside down view of Dani. She was following the medical personnel to the ambulance and helped as they loaded him in, already beginning their routine. An oxygen mask was placed over his mouth, and as a hand lifted his head to secure the strap, a wave of vertigo came over him. Malcolm tried to fight it and the mask, turning his head. He didn’t know he was wheezing so bad until he could hear it, amplified, within the mask. The high pitched whistling of his raspy breathing was nothing but a bad sign. He was gasping for air and gulping it in like a fish out of water now that he had the mask. It was being pressed to his face the more he resisted it, only scaring him further. That’s when he heard the monitor blaring. He didn’t feel it when they clipped the pulse oximeter on his finger, broadcasting his vitals for the medical team to work off of. 

“Hey, take it easy!” Dani snapped, taking note of the way the pressing of the mask sent Malcolm into a state of distress. “Take it a little easy on him.” They seemed to obey when all she had to do was move her jacket to show the badge clipped to her belt. They eased their urgency with the frantic profiler, giving him a chance to get used to his new surroundings. His blue eyes were flashing all around, trying to piece together what was happening. He tried lifting his head, heart beating a million miles a minute. Through his blurry field of vision, he could register that the numbers on the monitor were red and hectic. He was in trouble, he knew it. Before he had time to even think, the convulsions started again, bringing more pain and feeling into each muscle it wracked. 

The groans were muffled this time through the oxygen mask and his clenched teeth. His hands were shaking with his body, subconsciously brought to his chest, breath coming in pained and broken. Dani didn’t waste time in talking. “Do something!” She shouted, beginning to fear for Malcolm’s health. She saw the whites of his eyes and the muscles standing out in his neck and his head bobbed up and down on the stretcher. Her heart was breaking for him.


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malcolm didn’t remember falling asleep. Or, rather, being put out. He didn’t know when the drug was pushed through the IV and didn’t know when it hit effect and knocked him out. The amount of time he’d been under was a mystery, but it was when the nightmares of the girl in the box plagued him that he was beginning to wake. The nurse outside of his room, being mindful of his uneasy vitals, didn’t hear the sudden spike on his monitor. She didn’t even realize he’d begun to lightly thrash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok not as h/c as the first chapter sorry! Let me know what you think B) Also if you'd like to see anything/have any requests just let me know and I'll be happy to write them!  
> Also I am not very good at chapter titles sorry :/  
> Also sorry for using all caps in a canon fic but like I'm not the only one who could just tell that in that episode, he def was talking in all caps he was def screaming at that nurse :////

Feeling more numb than anything else, Malcolm watched as the lights overhead began to blur together. He was going somewhere, and fast. It took him longer than he wanted to admit that he noticed the outfits of the people above him and the words in their conversation. Putting two and two together, he deduced he was in a hospital. He tried to lift his left arm to investigate the snake bite to see how bad it was, but his entire body was made of lead. He was pained, tired, and restless all at the same time. He wanted to sleep, but feared that if he tried, he wouldn’t be able to. Had they already given him something? He didn’t remember being this relaxed mere minutes ago. He’d taken sedatives many times before, no stranger to the feeling of it. He was not a gambling man but would place money on him being under the effects of one. 

He tried to close his eyes as they took him somewhere. He wasn’t even trying to listen to their words anymore, it was all too much. He couldn’t sit up once he stopped moving, and gasped when the action was done for him. He felt hands at his back, assisting him to a sitting position before being eased to his back, slowly. They’d transferred him to the bed already, a team of two taking the stretcher away while the rest of the team stayed to work on him. Whatever they’d given him was slowing his heart rate some, enabling Malcolm to finally catch his breath. They still needed to give him other medications, but it was a good thing he couldn’t feel his arms. Well, and the rest of his body. 

One of the first things he felt was the pillow being snatched out from under him. His head hit the mattress, and his eyes were now flashing left and right. The medical team above him were working fast and hard, and he barely felt the sting in his arm when they established an IV port. He couldn’t muster the words to ask what they were giving him, but he couldn’t resist if he tried to. It was a feat unto itself to put all of his concentration on breathing and trying to quell the shaking that still wracked his body. 

\---

Malcolm didn’t remember falling asleep. Or, rather, being put out. He didn’t know when the drug was pushed through the IV and didn’t know when it hit effect and knocked him out. The amount of time he’d been under was a mystery, but it was when the nightmares of the girl in the box plagued him that he was beginning to wake. The nurse outside of his room, being mindful of his uneasy vitals, didn’t hear the sudden spike on his monitor. She didn’t even realize he’d begun to lightly thrash. 

First it was his head. Moving from side to side, the tendons in his neck sticking out like cords. Then it was his hands and legs, twitching in time to his nightmares. This process went on for some time, his body slowly reacting to the dreams gone south. It was only when he opened the box in the dream that his body went haywire. He shot up in the hospital bed, and with the fear instilled in his heart, he didn’t feel the sting in his forearm from the pulling of the tubes connected to him. His face, neck, chest, and collarbones were marred with sweat and his eyes open wide and in a panic. 

“Hello?” He began to look around, confused by his surroundings. 

“Ohhh my god.” He didn’t hear the voice of the nurse outside, but snapped his head in her direction when he saw the movement. “Where is….? Hello?” Immediately, he was on guard, turning in the bed so that he was facing her, brows furrowing. 

“Get Dr. Canter. He’s awake.” 

Malcolm couldn’t tell if the fear in her voice and body language was due to the fact that he was awake or sat up so fast in bed. But she had a more pressing issue- Malcolm found his IVs.

“W-what’s in this? W-what drug did you give me?” He immediately brought his good hand to his other arm, frantically grasping at the port with a shaking hand. 

“It’s all under control.” 

“I need to be able to wake up! _I need to be able to wake up! WHAT DID YOU GIVE ME?”_ He didn’t mean to scream in the woman’s face, but the fear was eating at him. He didn’t want to be trapped in the memories that haunted him each and every day. Not any more than he had to. That just wasn’t going to fly with him. The franticness evolved to full blown terror now, enabling him to be willing to rip every last tube out of his arm. Pain and consequences be damned. 

“Mr. Bright, please calm down. We’re giving you an anti-”

“Get it out of me!”

“You need it to combat the effects of the snake bite. You shouldn’t even be awake, we gave you a heavy sedative-”

“I don’t need it!” She placed her smaller yet calloused hands around his, disabling him from harming himself. He was battling her, fingers itching to pull at the port in his forearm. She was smarter, though. With one hand, she placed it over the needle taped to his arm, wrapping her other hand over his good one, preventing his ill-advised idea to free himself from the drugs.

“What’s happening?” 

Malcolm looked up, effectively distracted from the new voice, but still wild. He snarled at the doctor and other nurses that came in, the anger a sudden defense mechanism. He scrambled backwards in the bed, wriggling free of the nurse’s hold. She tried to inch closer but he turned his glare to her, holding a hand out to stop her from getting any closer. Then, with a warning glance to the doctor who’d just entered, followed by other rubbernecking staff, Malcolm made a move. 

“Get closer and I rip all of this out of me right now,” he warned, moving his good hand to the IV needle. He began to lift the edges of the tape securing it to his skin, noting the worry in the staff’s eyes. Good. Now he had their attention. Before he could say another word, he watched past Dr. Canter, where one of the other nurses- presumably on his case- turned to talk to another. 

“Get his emergency contact in here.” 

Malcolm nearly groaned. He didn’t want Ainsley in here. She’d know that with the increased anxiety, night terrors, and the worsening of his tremor, that she would know. She’d know that he went to see their father. He couldn’t afford that, let alone it getting to Mother. That would not go down very well at all. So, he opened his mouth to tell them it wasn’t necessary, and let go of his own arm. He relinquished his position to easily grab the IV, placing both hands on either sides of his legs. He was still sweating and now shaking in the effort of all of the commotion he’d caused. He was relaxing, showing them that he was no longer a threat.

Just when he thought he was in the clear, a familiar blonde head made her way into his room, escorted by the nurse who’d left not long ago. His sister’s face fell when she saw him, still scared to death, heaving and panting. “Malcolm,” she started, making her way over to him. She gave a half assed evil eye to the nurse still by the the bed. The same one that had first entered the room, the same one that called for the doctor. The smaller woman stepped out of Ainsley’s way, but lingered by the bed, worried eyes still moving to Malcolm’s arms.

Malcolm was reoriented when Ainseley placed her soft hands on his shoulders, rubbing soothing circles there. “Look at me, Malcolm.” He obeyed, bringing his widened eyes to meet hers. “You have to let them take care of you. If not for you, do it for me. Please?” Her voice was pleading, and so were her features. She knew how to put up a good front for the camera, but the profiler could tell that this was genuine. She really was worried for him and there didn’t seem to be an ulterior motive behind her eyes. 

“Ains-”

“No. You still need help.” She looked to his forehead for a moment before bringing the back of her hand to it, palpating it in different areas. “You still have a fever. And look at your arm. I never cared for your snakes when we were kids, and even I know that’s bad. I’ll stay here with you the entire time, will that make you feel a little better? I’ll make sure they only give you the bare minimum or I’ll sue them.” Now she was smiling, and it put him at ease. He knew she would do just that. He’d still rather sign himself out AMA, but he knew it wouldn’t be allowed since he was still febrile. Finally, after what seemed like minutes of pondering, he nodded. It was small, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it, but a nod nonetheless. 

Ainsley turned around, facing the medical staff. She gave them an affirming nod, and they moved again as if they were frozen in place. The doctor was the first to reach for Malcolm’s arm, and he instinctively flinched away from the touch. The doctor looked up to him, asking an unspoken question with his gaze. Malcolm looked back, and gave an uneasy and scared look to Ainsley. She stayed calm, and gave him a small nod. _It’s okay._ He returned his attention to Dr. Canter, and slowly extended his arm to him. 

After the medical team administered a drug to keep him under just long enough to lower the swelling and allow his fever to go down. The doctor and the nurses began to file out of the room one at a time. Finally it was just him and Ainsley. Malcolm was still sitting up in the bed, looking dazed and tired. Ainsley sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out and placing a hand on his knee. “You’re wearing yourself out, Malcolm.” 

He nodded wearily, seeing her point. He didn’t say anything, but it was known between them that she was right. He was silently admitting it to her. 

“Why don’t you lay down? You know the medicine’s going to kick in any moment now. I’d rather you not hit your head again.” He still looked unsure, and it was clear on his face. When he lifted his head, his eyes were drooping heavily, making him concentrate harder than usual on focusing on his sister. He opened his mouth to object to her suggestion, but Ainsley just smiled. “You are so stubborn, Malcolm. Lay down. You look like you’re about to fall asleep.” 

Finally he listened to her, beginning to unfold his long legs. Ainsley stood up, lifting the blankets so he could nestle beneath them. He was being pulled heavily by the drugs, and he would be within their grasp shortly. She didn’t tell him that they had to give him the maximum dosage since he woke up already under the influence of it. He laid down on the bed with the thought that Ainsley made sure they gave him as least as possible. But she would keep this to herself. He needed help, and he definitely needed to be put out for a while. He was too stubborn for his own good. 

Still awake, Malcolm thanked Ainsley and then started to grasp at the blankets, lifting them up and over himself. But he found that his hands weren’t working. Was this due to the medicine, or was his snake bite infected? It caused a spike in the monitor he was hooked up to, indicating a rise in his vitals. He took a deep breath, trying to combat it. “I can’t…” he mumbled, still trying at the blankets. Ainsley saw his struggle and got it for him, smiling as she did so. “Get some rest, Malcolm,” she cooed quietly, pulling over a chair. She placed it as close as she could to the bed so she could be with him. She placed her hand in her brother’s bigger one. 

He tried to thank her again, but couldn’t find the energy to talk. Instead, he squeezed her hand. Except that it was just a mere moving of his fingers on the back of her palm. But she got the idea nonetheless, tightening her fingers around his in response.


End file.
